But if you're going to full on move to a small town, you gotta be selective.

Pick wrong and you'll be bored, underpaid, and isolated.

But pick right, and you can get all the best aspects of a metropolis — energy, creativity, charm, excitement — without the up-yours prices and the built-in migraines.

So we asked dozens of writers around the country to find the small American cities (with a max population of 70,000) where they'd put down roots. We looked for up-and-coming hotspots (think, Asheville 10 years ago), underappreciated gems, and towns where a person with verve could scratch out a cool life. Places where you can raise kids and those kids can raise dogs and those dogs can raise hell. And where, when your friends visit from the city, they take a seat on your porch and say, "Damn, this is nice. What does your mortgage cost, again?"

Hood River, Oregon

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Great beer and the great outdoors within spitting distance of Portland.

Population:7,700

The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most beautiful natural features in the Pacific Northwest, a winding stretch of river sandwiched between dense forests, towering cliff faces, and more waterfalls than a TLC tribute show.

Its finest town is Hood River, a Rockwellian, hilly burg unofficially known as "Portland's backyard." It sits at the shores of the Columbia and on the foothills of Mount Hood, plopping you into fantastic hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowshoeing and kitesurfing. It's also home to an inordinately large number of breweries, including Full Sail, pFriem, Logsdon Farmhouse, and Double Mountain, making Hood River one of the best small beer towns anywhere.

Every day, Portland's traffic and rents are looking more like LA. Whether you land a job in Hood River itself, telecommute, or drive the (gorgeous) hour to Portland daily, you're looking at rents a fraction of the big city's (where a studio runs a ridiculous $1,500, easy). Plus you get friendly locals, great schools, fresh air, and some of the most breathtaking views in the state. It's a wonder more people aren't treating Portland as the weekend getaway and settling into one of America's best, and most strategically located, small towns. —Andy Kryza

Bisbee, Arizona

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A mountain-ringed artist's haven in the middle of the Sonoran Desert.

Population:5,200

Southeast of Tucson and 20 minutes north of Mexico are the Mule Mountains, wherein lies Bisbee, a world unto its own. Driving into the town is a thrill: You arrive from above, via a mountain tunnel, dropping past the homes, art galleries, and cute shops that now populate this old copper mining town formerly filled with brothels and bars.

Today the town is less about vice and more about cheap living in an eclectic high-desert town. The average house will cost just $130K; your neighbors will be a mix of rough-and-tumble miners, writers, painters, old-school hippies, new-wave hippies, and recovering yuppies — including artists and University of Arizona academics who have decamped from the "big city" two hours away. Tucson's residents flee to these mountains in the summer, as Bisbee's mile-high elevation means a respite from the searing desert heat. They, like you, come to chill and slow down. Just remember there's a wild and fascinating universe in any direction just over the mountains. —Jackie Bryant

Port Chester, New York

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Affordable rents and a bustling downtown that'll make you forget Brooklyn.

Population:29,000

No need to live in Bushwick or Williamsburg to feel like you're a New Yorker. Just an hour-long train ride north from Grand Central, and you'll find yourself in Port Chester. This Westchester County village has all the allure of a poppin' Brooklyn neighborhood, minus the bulls---.

Obscenely high rent? Not here. Mayor Dennis G. PillatoldThe New York Times, "Millennials are moving here from the outer boroughs and other places because of the bang for the buck." You can land a 1/1 apartment for $1,600, aka what you'd pay in NYC only if your aunt owns the building. Maybe you could even (hold onto your hat, now)buy.

And get this — there's actually stuff to do. Since the Capitol Theatre (built in 1926) was reopened in 2012 by Brooklyn Bowl owner Peter Shapiro, huge acts like Bob Dylan, Father John Misty, and the Pixies have been booked. The fleeing New Yorkers ensure a healthy appetite for bars, brunches, and well-respected restos.

You can hitbartacoor Mario Batali's Tarry Lodge, or scarf down a chili cheese dog from Hubba's, a hole-in-the-wall shop that's been around for over 100 years. Then gaze around at the once-sleepy town for people who still can't bring themselves to admit they might one day wind up in Connecticut. —Rebecca Strassberg

Greenville, South Carolina

Look, you're too late to ride the wave of brewers and artists and early-adopters that transformed Asheville in the past couple of decades. But there's still a chance for you to put your stamp on the vastly underrated Greenville, an hour south and likewise on the porch of gorgeous Appalachian national forests. From May to October, prepare to jam into one of the country's best downtowns to partake in the weekly Saturday Market, a mob scene of fresh produce and live music.

Fullya dozen craft brewerieswill keep you well hydrated, while the local food scene relishes in the home-grown and locally owned:Southern Livingrecently tallied some 120 locally owned restaurantsin a single 10-block radius. When you need to sweat, hike to a 420-foot waterfall in thebest state park in SC, right outside the city at Caesars Head. The cost of living is relatively cheap (housing is 20% less than the national average) and those beautiful Atlantic beaches are a measly four hours' drive. It's walkable, safe, and laid-back. That chill will come in handy when you feign surprise that your visiting friends compare your new digs to Asheville. —Kylie Maxcy

Golden, Colorado

Golden lies just outside of Denver at the edge of the sprawling Colorado Rockies, an ideally situated doorway between a hip fast-growing metropolis and miles of skiing, hiking, and rock climbing. This former gold rush town is laying back and soaking up the state's recent cultural and economic boom, one that's been partly spurred by legalized green (which, yes, is an added incentive to move there).

But while you might come for the mountains and weed, you'll stay for the job prospects: Google recently moved into nearby Boulder — it's a straight shot just 30 minutes up the road, and Denver's even less to the east. Both cities are surging with career and lifestyle possibilities, but with great opportunity comes great prices; hence, the beauty of setting up camp in Golden.

Home to the Coors Brewing Company, as well as countless microbreweries and brewpubs, the town's got a Western rustic vibe that's not try-hard, and puts you within striking distance of the region's best entertainment like theRed Rocks Ampitheatre, Coors Field, and Vail. —Emily Zemler

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

If you want to make friends in this life — real friends, the sort you'll hang with for the rest of your days — then spend a few winters two hours from Minneapolis. The upper Midwestern folks here have a knack for making the most of that dreary, dark season. You'll still see bikes (with snow tires) commuting in negative temperatures, which at first may seem insane but eventually... you kind of get it.

Duck out of the snow and into a warm, toasty bar — Water Street is saturated with them — for a pint of Lazy Monk IPA or New Glarus Spotted Cow. Eat some cheese curds, play a board game or 200, and let the winter roll on by, as it always manages to do.

Once spring rolls around, everyone starts peeling the sleeves off their pale-ass torsos and preparing to smash their way into a temperate, gorgeous summer together. The Chippewa River runs through this city, with loads of trails, parks, even beaches, and a shiny waterfront downtown is rolling in locally owned shops and locally sourced eats.

June brings about theEaux Clairesmusic festival, started in 2015 by Wisconsin's own Justin Vernon, where local artists share a bill with such little-known acts as Vernon's Bon Iver, Wilco, and Paul Simon.—Kylie Maxcy

Portland, Maine

Starting now, you don't need to fly to Colorado for your legal marijuana. Maine is still a year away from allowing cannabis commerce, but you're already free to grow your own. If you smell money in that smoke, or just want to legally spark up onGame of Thronesnights, the magic word is "Portland."

Led by a vigorous craft beer and craft spirits scene, it's attracting ambitious young things from the more expensive, more harried East Coast cities and helping them start small businesses — thanks,Maine Venture Fund. (And if you get nostalgic for seeing middle fingers extended in standstill traffic, Boston's just 2-and-a-half hours down the road.)

The result is a Portland that currently boasts perhaps the most restaurants and craft breweries per capita of anywhere in the country. Next year, look for cannabis stores and social clubs. For the next several decades, look for this town to cling to its coastal blue-collar charms. Mainers are a steady people. Even now they're already trying to head off rising rents with affordable housing developments. Leave it to New Englanders not to let a town get overheated.—Katie Lockhart

San Marcos, Texas

Though some might think there's no such thing as "too big" in Texas, others might argue that Austin has become exactly that. Many of the artists, musicians, and cheap rent-seekers have bounced south to San Marcos.

Themost hippie town in Texasis also where George Strait got his start, and has live music wafting from the bars on its historic square most nights of the week. The home of Texas State University — further shades of Austin — also brings together eccentric locals, students, and lately, veterans looking for the opposite of military life. The population has doubled in the past 25 years, but home prices here still sit well under $250,000.

The city sits at the base of Texas Hill Country and enjoys the crystal-clear San Marcos River, a tubing and floating destination for the entire state. An 85 mph toll road links it to San Antonio and Austin for commuters; easier is the 15-minute drive to the state's best wineries at Duchman and Driftwood Estate. It's also smack in the middle of Texas' best barbecue region, with famous names like Salt Lick, Black's, Kreuz's and Smitty's close enough for a quick lunch trip.—Matt Meltzer

Delray Beach, Florida

It's not just for grandparents anymore. In the past decade, Delray has begun to use the word "hip" to precede something other than "replacement."

Atlantic Avenue has transformed from a daytime retiree corridor to the top nightlife destination in Palm Beach County, with clubs like Salt7 and Il Bacio drawing partiers from all over South Florida. Top Miami burger joints like Rok:Brgr and Batch have opened outposts up here, joining an already-strong lineup of destination restaurants like Brule Bistro and Vic & Angelo's.

Yet Delray still captures the essence of the old-school South Florida. Traffic is light (exceptions: during the Garlic Festival or annual tennis tournament), you can actually find beach parking, and flip-flops are perfectly acceptable dinner attire. Add in one of the region's best breweries at Salt Water and you've got the rare coastal Florida city that hasn't overbuilt itself into oblivion. —Matt Meltzer

Burlington, Iowa

Scenic downtown hills and an artistic bent make for a tiny, corn-fed San Francisco.

Population:25,000

How can you pass up a town with a street called Snake Alley? It might be beyond anyone's powers to fact-check the city's claim that this is the "crookedest alley" in the world, but the fact that citizens want such a serpentine-award is typical of the burg's offbeat nature.

On its surface, Burlington looks like the apotheosis of scenic small-towns: sloping hills, suspension bridge cutting across the Mississippi, and a business district home to a vintage record shop called Weird Harold's. A cost of living 22% below the national average makes buying one of the turn-of-century mansions dotting the landscape both attainable and a solid investment.

Getting out and making friends will be cheap. Besides hosting some great bands, downtown's vintage theater savvily runs free classic films along with current low-budget indies. Recently opened wine bistros and cocktail lounges mean there's more bartenders-per-capita than most midwestern towns. The place consistently scores higher than its neighbors on a variety of diversity report cards, while cultural center and MFA-magnet Iowa City is barely an hour's drive.

And if you do get the itch for a weekend some place with a little more concrete, there's both a regional airport and an Amtrak station for a quick visit to Chicago or St. Louis that'll barely cost you more than you might've spent on round-trip gas. —Peter Rugg

Joshua Tree, California

Visit for the wind-chiseled landscape, the night skies painted in mesmerizing Milky Way hues, and the jaunty desert energy. Actually move for cheap (by Cali standards) rent and to be part of a hip, small-town vibe. Creative types have made Joshua Tree home to cool Airbnbs and boutique hotels tricked out with mid-century modern and bohemian flairs. They've also made it an absorbing town in which to settle down, even for just a little while.

You'll eat at independent cafes and a farmers market, and spend hot afternoons at quirky thrift shops — including one with a fun art and performance space, an Old Western-themed bar and vegan chow. You'll bump into more gigantic-name musicians than a town this size ought to know: Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters have all recorded albums here.

And your drinking buddies will be digital nomads and telecommuters who crave affordability — think $1K a month for a three-bedroom, two-bath — with the cultural flavor of LA. Feeling confined? Joshua Tree National Park is your backyard, and actual LA is a two-hour drive to the west.—Michelle Rae Uy

Northampton, Massachusetts

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A college town with a hippie vibe and the cultural trappings of cities 300 times bigger.

Population:28,400

The hometown of Smith College is a brainy, fiercely liberal burg where tweedy types rent or buy when they get exhausted with New York City (three hours away) or Boston (one-and-a-half hours). Think of this as the refuge urban parents sniff out to raise kids in the lap of the forests and meadows of Pioneer Valley.

"It’s a place that met all of my criteria for being able to leave Brooklyn," says writer Valerie Reiss, who recently moved here with her husband and young son. "Great coffee, good bookstores, blue politics, an active, engaged community, and an abundance of nature." It’s easy to recommend the fall foliage — extra bonus if you like the snow. This is a great place for skiers, snowboarders, and the hearty, masochistic souls who actually enjoy New England winters. —Jennifer Mattson

Bozeman, Montana

How does reclining in an Adirondack chair, sipping a crispMAP Brewingkolsch, and gazing into the snow-capped Bridger Mountains sound to you?

The locals say "Only in Bozeman," repeatedly. Maybe too often. Because where else can you have a $15 wagyu beef burger, fresh from theMontana Wagyu Cattle Companyjust up the street in Belgrade, then throw on your hiking boots and drive 15 minutes to a trailhead in the 1.8-million-acre Gallatin National Forest? Only in Bozeman can you choose your own adventure, and complete it on your lunch hour.

Many agitated urban-dwellers transplant to Bozeman for its organic, space-filled lifestyle. Cowboys saddle up to the bar with tech entrepreneurs and university professors, and everyone, yes everyone, owns waders for fly fishing. Don't get us wrong — with transplants come a necessity for creature comforts, so plenty of breweries, coffee shops, and grocery co-ops exist for those who wouldn't dare go a week without avocado toast.

Cattle may outnumber the people who live here, but by no means are tumbleweeds blowing through the streets. If you truly love the outdoors, why not spend less time in the car and more time on the 2,200 miles of hiking paths circling the Gallatin, Beartooth, Bridger, and Madison mountain ranges.—Nicole Schuman

Wilmington, Delaware

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Philadelphia's Philadelphia is less square than you've assumed.

Population:71,000

You may know Wilmington as that magical place where hundreds of thousands of businesses can fit into a single PO box, but Delaware's biggest city (which clocks in a hair above our 70K population limit, but we just couldn't resist) has undergone massive changes in the last decade thanks to a booming job market and massive investments in the city's cultural landmarks.

Major financial institutions — J.P. Morgan, Barclays, BlackRock —have shifted jobs to Wilmington, sending an influx of young professionals (and their salaries) that has breathed new life into the city's cultural landmarks like the Queen Theater and theiconic Hotel du Pont.

The city and state, meanwhile, have committed to fostering entrepreneurship and co-working spaces likeThe MillandStart It Up Delaware, a public-private partnership aiming to bring tech talent to the First State. "The city really checks off a lot of boxes," says Wilmington native and local entrepreneurMatt Van Belle. "The cost of living is cheap, you can walk everywhere, you have access to major metros via train or a short drive, some of the best beaches on the coast are an hour away."

Plus, the mad beer geniuses at Dogfish Head are only a short drive away, which means the crew atWashington Street Alehouseare always getting kegs you won't see anywhere else.—T.M. Brown

Rogers, Arkansas

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Cheap living and low-key good times nestled beside higher learning and high culture.

Population:67,000

The two major counties in hilly Northwest Arkansas have doubled in population inside a generation, to almost a half-million. That growth owes to a cheap, chill quality of life that has made the biggest city, Fayetteville, a mainstay on national best-city lists and a sturdy economy anchored by Walmart's world HQ in Bentonville.

You have your pick of spots if you want to start a business, raise kids who teach themselves to spelunk through creeks and woods, or just buy an actual house with an actual yard. But the very best deal might be middle child Rogers, an overlooked town of 67,000 with exactly as much pretension as its name implies.

Your conventional bases are covered: The schools are new and well-funded; neighborhoods are stacked with big parks and ever-expanding bike lanes and a 30-acre reservoir lake; winters are piddly; crime is minimal; and the worn-in Southern funk of the area melds well with newer upscale chains and craft breweries. Go further, though, and you find someholy shitfeatures rare in small towns.

You'll be minutes from the University of Arkansas; a major airport; a minor league ballpark; and Crystal Bridges, the biggest new art museum built in America since the 1970s. And Rogers now boasts the Railyard (YouTube above), a primo mountain bike obstacle park (complete with dog park!) smack in the revived yet still quaint-AF downtown. Your kids will thank you for moving here, even as you sign their casts. —Sam Eifling